Chapter 17
Jaehyun appeared, walking down the hallway.
Coincidentally, his gaze landed on her, sitting on the living room sofa. The moment their eyes met, Sieon felt inexplicably breathless.
Jaehyun’s eyes were as sharp as ever, but was it her imagination that she sensed a faint tremor within them?
“You’re here.”
She tried to sound calm, but her voice trembled against her will.
Jaehyun merely nodded in response, a usual reaction. Yet, the tightness around his mouth made her entertain the absurd thought that he might be nervous.
It really made no sense…
“The painting.”
“Ah, yes. Please rest.”
It was then, as Sieon turned her head and Jaehyun was heading towards the stairs.
“Oh, CEO, you’re back?”
Suwon-daek, oblivious to the atmosphere, approached with a smile.
“Perfect timing! Dinner’s ready.”
Jaehyun’s steps halted. Sieon’s heart seemed to stop along with them.
“Please have dinner before you go up. Tonight, I’ve prepared your favorite dishes especially for you.”
Jaehyun seemed to hesitate for a moment. But with dinner already prepared, it was difficult to refuse.
As Sieon expected, his steps shifted direction towards the dining room.
“Madam, you should eat too. You haven’t had dinner yet, waiting for the CEO.”
“Oh, I…”
Seeing Sieon’s wavering eyes, Jaehyun spoke indifferently.
“Then let’s eat together.”
As he spoke, Sieon’s hand unconsciously gripped the sofa cushion. The situation had become unavoidable.
An awkward silence settled over the dining table.
Every time his gaze met hers, Sieon involuntarily flinched. Memories of last night kept surfacing.
And it seemed the same for Jaehyun. His gaze lingered on her more intensely than usual.
Both tried their best to pretend nothing was amiss, but that only amplified the tension.
“Madam,”
Suwon-daek’s voice broke the deepening silence.
“I just received a call; something urgent came up at home.”
Sieon looked up and noticed Suwon-daek’s troubled expression.
“If it’s urgent, please go quickly.”
“I’m sorry to interrupt your dinner…”
“No, it’s fine.”
“Then, I’ll be going. When you’re done eating, just gather the dishes in one place, and I’ll come tidy up tomorrow.”
Suwon-daek quickly turned and soon the sound of the front door closing echoed. With only the two of them left, the air grew even heavier.
Even the clinking of dishes amplified the tension.
Sieon kept her head down, moving her chopsticks. Jaehyun, sitting opposite her, slowly picked up his spoon.
His usually relaxed expression was now rigid.
Normally, this silence would be natural. But today was different.
Even their breathing became cautious. The presence of the person sitting opposite felt stronger than ever.
A distance so close it felt like their body heat could transfer. Jaehyun’s gaze briefly rested on Sieon. Her face, appearing even more luminous today, clearly had little to no makeup, yet it had to be naturally radiant.
Her white neckline, revealed beneath her neatly tied-back hair, came into his view, and something squeezed his heart tightly.
“Jaehyun?”
Sieon’s voice, belatedly calling out, made Jaehyun lift his gaze. Only then did he see her looking at him with a worried expression.
“You look so serious. Is something wrong?”
Something wrong?
Was she the only one oblivious to last night’s events?
She was as calm as ever. Her unwavering, polite demeanor in any situation somehow displeased him.
As if last night’s events meant nothing to her.
“Jaehyun?”
“It’s done. Eat.”
“Ah, okay.”
Seeing her lower her head, looking intimidated, he wondered if he had been too cold. But her very presence kept grating on his nerves.
Sieon also tried to appear unconcerned, but contrary to her expectations, she couldn’t even properly taste her food. Jaehyun’s presence felt like a heavy stone pressing down on her.
She barely chewed her rice, barely sipped her soup.
It was hard to tear her eyes away from his unconscious movements.
When Jaehyun raised his water glass, Sieon lowered her gaze, and when Sieon reached for her chopsticks, Jaehyun turned his head.
When their eyes accidentally met, both quickly looked away.
Despite this, every small movement of the other was distinctly felt.
Then, by chance, their hands brushed. As both reached for the soy sauce bottle, their hands touched.
Startled, Sieon quickly pulled her hand away and said,
“Oh, I’m sorry.”
“Jaehyun, you first.”
She tried to speak casually, hiding her hand behind her back. It was a fleeting touch, yet the warmth that began at her fingertips spread throughout her entire body. Her heart pounded frantically.
“Here.”
“Thank you.”
As she reached to take it from Jaehyun, their hands brushed again.
It was at that moment. Jaehyun grasped her hand as it was about to pull away. At the unexpected contact, Sieon’s eyes trembled slightly.
“Jaehyun?”
He seemed surprised by his own actions, pausing for a moment. But he didn’t let go. Instead, he gripped her slender wrist more firmly.
It was a momentary impulse. Her warm, soft skin and her body heat kept stimulating him.
Her eyes, wide with surprise, and her reddening cheeks further aroused him. To feel such emotions seeing a troubled woman…
An unbearable tension enveloped the two of them. In the silence, only the sound of their hearts echoed louder.
“Jaehyun… why are you doing this?”
“It’s nothing.”
When Jaehyun released her hand, Sieon awkwardly withdrew hers. But the tension flowing between them, like a current, grew stronger.
Even the clinking of dishes stopped. Even breathing became cautious.
Dinner was over, but neither could bring themselves to get up.
When the silence grew too long, Sieon spoke first.
“Would you like a glass of wine?”
Without waiting for Jaehyun’s answer, Sieon stood up and headed for the wine cellar. Her hands trembled slightly as she chose a bottle of wine.
“I think red wine would be nice today.”
The red liquid filled the glass.
Jaehyun watched her silently, then, as if resigned, drank the wine.
Sieon also raised her glass. One glass, two glasses, as she quickly drank, Jaehyun’s eyebrows subtly furrowed.
“Perhaps you should stop…”
“It’s fine.”
Sieon quickly cut him off. It was as if she was trying to borrow courage to forget something.
Before long, her face was flushed with the effects of the alcohol.
The hand refilling the wine glass trembled slightly. If before it was due to tension, now it seemed to be from the alcohol. Wine spilled onto the table, but Sieon seemed too preoccupied to notice.
Her usual composed demeanor was gone. That sight somehow stirred Jaehyun’s heart even more.
As time passed, her cheeks grew redder. Her eyes, filled with tipsiness, looked even more moist. Every time her long eyelashes fluttered, Jaehyun’s gaze naturally drifted towards them.
“It’s hot…”
Sieon murmured, unbuttoning the collar of her shirt. The moment her white skin was revealed, Jaehyun’s gaze deepened.
The marks he had left were still faintly visible. The moment he saw those traces, Jaehyun’s grip tightened.
This shouldn’t be happening.
Rationally, he knew he should keep his distance, but he couldn’t take his eyes off her. As she became more vulnerable with the alcohol, Jaehyun’s heart pounded.
“Jaehyun?”
It was then.
Sieon leaned towards him. With her collar already unbuttoned because she just said she was hot, when she leaned forward, her swelling chest was precariously revealed.
Jaehyun unconsciously gritted his teeth.
“Do you… dislike Sieon?”
It was a simple question, but Jaehyun’s eyes wavered. He had no intention of seriously responding to drunken ramblings. Besides, he had an important meeting tomorrow, and indulging in this kind of lingering interaction was unlike him.
But facing her moist, glistening eyes, the words caught in his throat.
Instead, Jaehyun brought his wine glass to his lips, as if to avoid answering.
“Please answer me.”
“You’re drunk. You should go in and rest…”
Seeing her look at him with eyes that seemed about to cry, his chest ached, and he couldn’t continue his sentence.
“Okay… Since Jaehyun said so.”
It was the moment Sieon swayed and tried to get up from her seat.
“Watch out!”
Suddenly losing her balance and about to fall to the floor, Jaehyun instinctively grabbed her.
His arm, wrapped around Sieon’s waist, tightened. Her soft body nestled into his embrace.
“You’re really doing everything.”
“Jaehyun… I’m sorry…”
“If you’re sorry, then just stay put.”
Normally, this situation would have been unpleasant, but why did she seem so cute, drunk in his arms? This strange feeling of being drawn to her more the more he tried to distance himself was unfamiliar.
“…Jaehyun?”
“Are you angry?”
Jaehyun’s gaze deepened. Although his reason told him to stop, his eyes unconsciously settled on her lips. Her plump lips seemed redder, perhaps due to the alcohol. His Adam’s apple bobbed.
“Jaehyun…”
The night air grew warmer.
